1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a camera having a sliding lens cover on a front surface of a camera body, which lens cover is adapted to laterally move between a closed position and an open position to cover and uncover an objective lens, respectively.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Generally, a camera is gripped at right and/or left side portions with right and/or left hands to carry out a camera operation. On the other hand, a shutter release button is usually provided on an upper surface at a right upper portion so as to be depressed by a forefinger of a hand gripping the camera.
If a grip portion is to be provided on the lens cover sliding type camera as mentioned above, especially on the camera of such a type that the lens cover is moved to the shutter release button side to uncover the lens, it is required to be designed in consideration of the presence of the lens cover. That is to say, it becomes to design this type of camera in consideration of operability of opening and closing the lens cover as well as gripping function of the grip portion.
Conventionally, there has not been yet known a camera of this type designed in consideration of both the opening and closing operability of the lens cover and the gripping function of the grip portion while there is known a camera in which the shutter release button is provided on the upper surface at the right end portion as viewed by an operator (at the left side as viewed from the front of the camera), a finger engagement projection is formed on the front surface at the right-hand side of the lens cover, and a right end of the lens cover is movable to a substantially right end of the camera body in the open position. With a camera of this type, the operator must grip the camera, operates the lens cover and thereafter operates the shutter release button by the fingers of his right hand. However, as a first problem, the projection is easily caught by a case, bag or pocket when the camera is received therein. As a second problem, the projection is formed only for the purpose of engegemeht with a finger, and therefore it is so small in size for use as a right-hand grip member of the camera body, and does not satisfy a gripping function. As a third problem, when the lens cover is moved to the open position, the projection excessively approaches to the right end of the camera body, and therefore the opening and closing operation of the lens cover is hardly carried out by flexing and stretching the right-hand fingers with the grip portion of the camera gripped by the right hand.